A prequel to the incredibly popular Fate/Stay Night visual novel developed and published by Type-Moon, Fate/Zero was written by admired Japanese author and screenwriter Gen Urobuchi. Urobuchi;s works are known to be fairly dark, nihilistic and very heavy on gory violence. Though it served as a prequel, Fate/Zero was darker than its predecessor in its tone and overall narrative arc.
Following the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War, Fate/Zero featured masters who were – for the most part – more prepared and qualified than those chosen to participate in the Fifth Grail War. Between masters and servants, there were tons of epic battles and matchups. Though not all of them made the cut, here are the 10 best Fate/Zero fighters, ranked.
10 Hassan of the Hundred Faces (Assassin)
Assassins don’t tend to be the best straight up fighters among the servant classes in the Fate universe, favoring a less direct approach to battle instead. What makes Hassan of the Hundred Faces so unique is that he can manifest as multiple entities at a given time.
This may seem incredibly advantageous at first, but a competent servant in any other class can probably take them out fairly easily. This was best shown when the lot of them were wiped out within Alexander’s Noble Phantasm.
9 Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald
The first master on these rankings, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald was considered one of the most talented mages of his generation. Despite that, he seemed well over his head during the Fourth Grail War.
Kayneth is said to be one of the most powerful mages taking part in the Grail War. But things never really go right for him from the get go. Despite his strength, he’s outclassed and outmaneuvered at nearly every turn – eventually meeting a fairly grim end.
8 Gilles de Rais (Caster)
In the Fate universe, there are two versions of Gilles de Rais that exist. One is a Saber class servant, and the other is the more demented and disturbing Caster version. Of course, Fate/Zero went with the latter.
As a Caster, Gilles is fairly weak compared to others of his class summoned throughout the Grail War. He isn’t much of a mage and thus has to rely on his Noble Phantasm when using magic. Despite this, he can still stir up a good deal of trouble.
7 Lancelot (Berserker)
The Berserker class is a two-edged sword as servants summoned within it are incredibly powerful, but much like their name implies, turn into mindless killing machines. Lancelot didn’t have much of a personality during the Fourth Grail War, but he did do a lot of damage.
While powerful, Berserker isn’t the most technical and strategic fighter out there. Due to the nature of his class, he is able to overpower his foes but will be at a disadvantage when it comes to adapting to various aspects of battle.
6 Diarmuid (Lancer)
Continuing the long Fate tradition of Lancer-class servants getting the short end of the stick, Diarmuid is one of the more likable characters in Zero. Sadly, he meets a pretty unfortunate end all too soon.
Diarmuid is shown to be a formidable fighter, preferring to wield two spears at once. One of which - Gáe Buidhe – is particularly dangerous, as it can limit and stymie an opponent’s healing and regeneration when injured by its tip. It’s a useful ability for wearing an opponent down and gaining the upper hand in battle.
5 Kirei Kotomine
One of the few characters from Zero to play a role in Fate/Stay Night Kirei Kotomine is one of the series’ most dangerous and twisted villains. Initially the master of Assassin, Kirei eventually inherits his own master's servant through their combined treachery.
Kirei is an incredibly gifted fighter and relies on his martial arts prowess when in combat. He’s a formidable and ruthless foe who can do a good deal of damage to even the most experienced fighters from close range.
4 Kiritsugu Emiya
One of the most interesting characters in the Fate universe, Kiritsugu Emiya is a ruthless fighter who isn’t afraid to sacrifice anything and anyone in the name of his ideals. His mixture of skill and devout idealism make Kiritsugu a dangerous and unpredictable opponent to face.
Kiritsugu is particularly dangerous when facing other mages, as he can do permanent damage to their magical circuits, which is essentially what allows them to use magic. As Kiritsugu does this with modified bullets fired out of his Thompson Contender pistol, targeted mages have very little options when it comes to deflecting or blocking these attacks.
3 Alexander (Rider)
A fan favorite, Alexander was one of the highlights of Fate/Zero as both a character and fighter. Rider was shown to be a great mentor and possessed an immense fighting spirit, despite having been summoned by a less than qualified master in Waver Velvet.
Alexander is shown to be a tough opponent to take on and possesses one of the strongest Noble Phantasms in the anime. His Ionioi Hetairoi Noble Phantasm allows him to summon his army within a separate reality and unleash them upon his enemies. There are very few servants who possess the strength and ability to properly fend this kind of attack off.
2 Artoria Pendragon (Saber)
One of the most popular and recognizable Fate characters out there, Saber (Artoria Pendragon) is also one of the strongest servants seen in the anime. She participates in both the Fourth and Fifth Grail Wars and is one of the strongest servants in both.
Saber is an incredibly skilled fighter, with a strategic mind and level head that allows her to match up well with most foes. Her Noble Phantasm, Excalibur, can easily take out multiple enemies in a single blow and has proven to be the turning point of many battles.
1 Gilgamesh (Archer)
His personality may not make him the most likable character in the Nasuverse, but Gilgamesh is one of the strongest servants in Fate. His role in Fate/Zero is an important lead into what he would be in Fate/Stay Night.
Gilgamesh has one of the most overpowered abilities you’ll see in the franchise in the form of his Gate of Babylon. The Noble Phantasm essentially allows him to use all the weapons he’d collected in his lifetime against an enemy at once. It’s virtually unbeatable, save for a few exceptions.